Ball



l. DE GOWIN.

BALL.

APPLICATION FILED APR.23.1920.

Lflz'?. Patented July 25, 1922.

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UNEF@ STS @iglmg ISAAC DE GOWIN, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE Ell/ILESS RUBER. COMPANY, INC., OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 0F MASSACHUSETTS.

BALL.

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To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, IsAAo DE GowiN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented an I mprovement in Balls, of which the following description, in connectionwitli the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to balls and more particularly to that type of ball which has applied thereto a covering of felt. The tennis ball is a well known example. The object of this invention is to provide a ball having a novel form of covering which will be durable and substantial and a method whereby the covering may be applied.

My invention vwill best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying draw ings wherein I have shown diagrammatically various exemplary mechanisms adapted for use in producing the ball covering and wherein:

.Fig. l is a diagrammatic sectional view of a bat-forming mechanism;

AF, ig. 2 is a similar View of a blocking lor pressing mechanism; and

Fig. 3 is a partially broken elevation of .the completed-ball.

My invention may be conveniently explained by describing the method whereby the'cover is produced, referring in the course of the description to mechanisms which may be used in carryin out the method. Reference to these particular mechanisms shown herein diagrammatically is, however merely to facilitate the understanding of Referring to Fig. 1 I have .there shown a bat-forming machine embodying a rotary perforated cone 5 from the interior of which air is exhausted by the revolving fan 7.

Adjacent the cone is the tunnel 9 into which Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 25, i922.

Application -led April 23, 1920.

Serial No. 376,165.

manner to toughen and thicken it. The operations sometimes known as basoning and planking do not require extendedv description in this place.

The fulled section which at this stage should approximate one-half the size of the ball which is to be covered is then blocked or pressed into hemispherical form and in Fig. 2 I have shown a section 13 pressed by means of aV fiexible diaphragm 15 into a hemisplierical mold 17 which is heated by steam in the chamber 19, the diaphragm being presssed down by hydraulic pressure of water forced into the chamber 2l.

By the methods just described or their equivalents there are produced molded felt sections of hemispherical form, each of one-half the size of the ball center which mold and are subjected to pressure and heat,

smoothing out the cover sections 13 and firmly securing them to the ball center 23.

The completed ball will then appear as in Fig. 3 covered with two hemispheres of felt. This covering has a comparatively short seam or line of junction between the sections as compared with the covering methods usually employed and since the parts are formed from the fibers directly into the form of the ball they are in equi` librium and have no tendency to lift and break away from the center 23'. If clesired, the sections 13 may be stitched together along their meeting edges but this is not necessary, the forming of the sections as described particularly facilitating their being maintained in position merel by the use of a suitable adhesive on the ba l center.

Having described in detail a particular embodiment of' my invention and one method by which it may be carried out, the principles illustrated thereby which I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent I shall express in the following claims.

Claims:

l. A ball comprising a center and a covering of felt sections secured thereto, each having an inherent form corresponding to part of the sphere.

Leases? 4f. The method/,of covering balls comprising felting fibers to prcvide cones, falling 10 'the cones, blockino' ehem to hemispherical form to fit the bail. center and adhesively securing them thereto. r

" 1n testimony whereof, I have signed 'my name Atothis specification.

.ISAAC DE GOWIN. 

